GB2431967A

GB2431967A - Power generation device

Info

Publication number: GB2431967A
Application number: GB0522244A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Lawrence
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-11-01
Filing date: 2005-11-01
Publication date: 2007-05-09
Also published as: GB0522244D0

Abstract

A power generating device comprises a pressure plate 2 held slightly above the road surface by a spring loaded piston 3. Below the plate is a toothed flapper or rack 4 which is forced downward when a vehicle droves over the plate 2 and back up when the spring piston returns the plate above the road surface. The toothed flapper or rack 4 engages with a toothed roller or pinion 5 as it moves downwards and turns the roller or pinion 5. As it moves upwards the teeth cannot engage with the roller or pinion 5, therefore there is a ratchet mechanism. The spinning motion of the roller or pinion 5 is magnified using cogs, chains and gears.

Description

Motorway Induction Plate The Motorway Induction Plate is concerned with

using motion created by the daily movement of vehicles to spin a roller which could be attached to a generator to produce electricity.

Current electricity production methods have problems associated with their application that need addressing.

Power plants use either fossil fuels or radio active rods to heat water to produce steam which rotates a turbine. Burning fossil fuels adds to the green house effect and their availability will eventually run out, while radioactive rods produce radio active waste.

Wind farms address the above problems but are inactive when there is no wind. They have to be sited in advantages areas and in large numbers in order to produce enough energy. This leads to opposition against unsightly windmill farms in the country side.

Sighting wind farms offshore overcomes the visual problem but the energy produced must then be transported inland.

Wave power is fairly week and can only be applied around the coast line.

The Motorway Induction Plate addresses all of the above problems and provides the mechanical technology required to turn the motion of vehicles into a rotation which can be used to power a generator.

The unit uses a pressure plate held slightly above the road surface by a spring loaded piston. Below the plate is a toothed flapper which is forced downward when a vehicle drives over the plate and back up when the spring piston returns the plate above the road surface. The toothed flapper locates with a toothed roller on its downward journey and spins the roller. On its upward journey the teeth cannot locate and the flapper therefore exerts little or no friction to the spinning roller as it positions itself ready for the next cycle. The toothed roller is connected by chain and cogs to a drive rod positioned underneath it. The rotating motion of the toothed roller is therefore magnified and transferred to the drive rod.

The above will now be elaborated on with reference to the accompanying drawings: Please note that the vehicle wheel (I) is not to scale and would in fact be much larger, and the pressure plate (2) protrusion above the road surface would be minimal when compared with the actual size of the vehicle wheel (I). Therefore, it is planned that the effect of driving over the pressure plate (2) would not be felt by the driver of the vehicle or create any impact effects on the wheel (I). z

Figure 1 shows a vehicle front wheel (1) about to drive over the pressure plate (2) with the pressure plate being held in the raised position by the spring loaded piston (3). The toothed flapper (4) is resting against the toothed roller (5) and is set off to one side of the toothed rollers centre point (5) for maximum effect when applying force. The construction of the toothed flapper (4) and the toothed roller (5) can be seen in detail in figure 4 and figure 5.

Figure 2 shows the situation once the front wheel of the vehicle (1) has driven on to the pressure plate (2). The pressure plate (2) is pushed down and forces the spring loaded piston (3) to depress and compress the spring ready to return the pressure plate (2) once the vehicle wheel (1) leaves the pressure plate (2). At the same time the toothed flapper (4) is forced down and applies spin the toothed roller (5). The toothed flapper (4) ends up in a perpendicular position due to its hinged location being offset from the left hand outer edge of the toothed roller (5). This is in order that the toothed flapper (4) dose not impede the spin it has applied to the toothed roller (5) by any friction. At the same time the spin applied to the toothed roller (5) is magnified and transmitted to the drive rod (6) by cogs chains and gears.

Figure 3 shows what happens when the vehicle wheel (1)leaves the Pressure plate (2).

With the toothed roller (5) and the drive rod (6) still spinning, the spring in the spring loaded piston (3) forces the piston, and therefore the pressure plate (2) back to the raised position. The toothed flapper (4) is dragged up with the pressure plate (2) but because of the reverse direction of the teeth (see figure 5) it dose not engage with the spinning toothed roller (5) on its upward journey, and being constructed of polished metal it imparts very little friction.

The whole assembly is now back in its raised start position. The toothed roller (5) is starting to lose its inertia but the drive rod (6) is still spinning when the back wheel of the vehicle strikes the pressure plate. (2) The whole sequence of Figure 1, figure 2, figure 3 starts again applying new spin to the toothed roller (5) and hence more spin to the drive rod (6).

Moreover, at peak traffic times the next and subsequent vehicles would continue to strike the pressure plate (2) before the drive rod (6) stops spinning and hence keep the drive rod (6) spinning for long periods.

Fig 6 shows a plan of the pressure plate (2) and demonstrates the length of the unit. This is planned to be wider than a vehicle but just short of the width of a motorway lane with a spring loaded piston (3) at each end. The drive rod (6) with its chain and gears would only need to be mounted at one end, being the off road end whichever side that might be.

Figure 7 demonstrates an application of the Motorway Induction Plate being used as two arrays of 9 plates on the inside lanes of a three lane motorway (9 in each direction). It is envisaged that the drive rods (6) would have extension rods attached to move the spinning motion bellow the surthce to the sides of the motorway where they would be used to turn generators that are all connected by conductive cable into one unit. The energy they produce can then be added to the national grid. if

Claims

Claims I. A pressure plate above encased mechanical technology used to

turn the motion of travelling vehicles into a spinning motion on a drive rod housed under the encasement.

2. A pressure plate and associated encased mechanical technology substantially as herein described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.